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Twenty Years to Midnight
"Twenty Years to Midnight" is an episode of the animated television series The Venture Bros., the fifth episode of the second season. Storyline A strange craft, possibly a spaceship, lands outside the Venture Compound at night. A tall, thin figure reminiscent of Galactus or the Celestials descends and scans the compound, locating Dr. Venture on the toilet. Inside, Brock is vacuuming the guest room when he finds a box under the bed. Opening it, he call for Dr. Venture on his wrist communicator. Dr. Venture arrives to find the boys pulling out the box's contents (Dean is pleased to find another sweater vest), but Brock points out the most interesting item: an apparent Betamax tape. Putting the tape in a player, they see a message recorded by Jonas Venture Sr. about 20 years ago. He explains that he had just finished decyphering a radio signal from deep space to find it was a message addressed to him specifically. The message directed him to assemble and activate his "greatest invention" at midnight on a future day -- which turns out to be tomorrow. Failure to do so may have grave consequences for mankind, although he doesn't specify. He lists the locations of the components, and the first piece is stashed away on Spider Skull Island, now the home of Jonas Jr. Dr. Venture is not pleased that he has to deal with his brother again. Suddenly, the group turns to see the tall unearthly figure of the spacecraft's occupant looming outside the window. Going out to confront him, the being speaks in a booming voice that nearly deafens the Ventures, and makes Hank clutch his genitals. The being introduces himself as the Grand Galactic Inquisitor, there to pass judgment on humanity. But he instructs them to go about their normal routine and not to speak to him, booming "IGNORE ME!" in an overpowering manner. They fly to the island in the X-1, along with the Inquistor. Sneaking onto the premises, Brock and the boys attempt to take the X-2 (the Venture Industries high-tech yacht) while Thaddeus goes to liberate the component from the compound. Onboard the X-2 Brock and the boys are spotted by someone with a flashlight who, after being tackled by Brock, turns out to be the faux ghost-pirate captain from Ghosts of the Sargasso. He explains he had taken to sleeping on the boat until Jonas Jr. found him and offered him a job as captain. Inside, as Rusty is sneaking through the building, he is discovered by a young woman in an intimate embrace with Jonas Jr. After some explanation the group gathers to watch the tape, and the clearly more competent and serious-minded Jonas confers with Brock on a plan, ignoring Rusty's protests. They split into three teams; Brock and Rusty in the X-1, Jonas and the Captain on the X-2, and Hank and Dean on the X-X-1 (a new aircraft built by Jonas Jr.). The teams race off. On board the fully automated X-X-1, Hank and Dean are overwhelmed by the craft's sophistication. Not only does it fly itself, but it has a lounge with comforts such as a "Space Invaders" machine. In a series of quick scenes, the three teams hunt for the components. Hank and Dean's trip takes them to the retreat of Col. Horace Gentleman, last scene in "Past Tense." But to their horror they discover him lying dead in his bed, his eyes wide open. Getting over their dismay, Dean reads through the colonel's diary, which is full of nonsensical ramblings. Hank finds the handle of Gentleman's walking stick comes off, and out slides the component, straight into Hank's eye. Jonas Jr. and the Captain are swimming in their scuba gear when they come to a bathysphere. Jonas Jr. radios the occupant, of "Quest Bell 1" asking to be allowed on board. Inside, the Venture team is shocked to discover an adult Jonny Quest, bedraggled, emaciated and half naked, with a length of rubber tubing tied around one bicep. Quest rants and waves a gun in their faces, until the Captain explains that Jonas Jr. is a doctor that can prescribe whatever Quest wants. Jonas hesitates, then plays along. In New York, Rusty and Brock have arrived at 1 Impossible Plaza, the headquarters of Impossible Industries, which is quite similar to Four Freedoms Plaza from the Fantastic Four. Rusty reveals that it used to be the site of the H.Q. of Venture Industries, and the next component was hidden in the foundation. Rusty plans to use his relationship with Sally Impossible to gain access. Inside 1 Impossible Plaza, Sally is packing to go out when she is confronted by Prof. Richard Impossible. He is quite suspicious of her desire to leave the building, but he finally agrees to allow it, while sending bodyguards to accompany her. Quotes *'Dr. Venture:' (Surprised by the seeing the Inquisitor for the first time) Ladysmith Black Mambazo!!! *'Grand Galactic Inquisitor:' Someone left a baby! (Picks up Rocket) Rocket: (Giggles) Grand Galactic Inquisitor: IGNORE ME! *'Jonny Quest:' Are you cops? *'Prof. Richard Impossible:' (When Brock grabs his cheek to bolt it to a wall) Of all the intolerable bugaboos! Trivia *Once again, Stephen Colbert returns as the voice of Professor Impossible, the twist on Reed Richards. *An adult version of Jonny Quest appears in this episode, and apparently the years have been even less kind to him than to Thaddeus "Rusty" Venture. Paranoid and delusional, clad only in his trademark black shirt and white briefs, and sporting a horrible mustache, Quest is apparently living alone in a submerged bathysphere, and may be suffering from acute drug addiction. *The large menacing robot named Huggie (or possibly, H.U.G.G.I.E.) inside 1 Impossible Plaza that intimidates and then hugs H.E.L.P.eR. resembles an outsized H.E.R.B.I.E. *The picture of Dr. Venture and Dr. Jonas Venture Jr. swimming in diving suits in the theme video for Powerless in the Face of Death is actually the Captain and Dr. Jonas Venture Jr. in this episode. *This is the first time we ever see Spider-Skull Island. And it looks like a spider with a human skull on top. *The Grand Galactic Inquisitor has six fingers on each hand, as well as a voice that rattles Hank's "no nos". *The idea of an alien taking the form of a lost love one comes from Contact, by Carl Sagan. *Posters spoofing the silhouettes from iPod ads can be seen on the subway train. *Hank doesn't "really like neckerchiefs". Goofs *Even though the alien posing as Jonas Venture says you can't see the stars in the city, in the after credits scene, you can clearly see stars in the sky. Escape to the House of Mummies Part II